Hinge



A. R. BAER June 11, 1963 HINGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15, 1960INVENTOR BY Ausrin R. Boer M 5 M ATTORNEYS June 11, 1963 A. R. BAER3,092,870

HINGE Filed July 15, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Ausrin R. Boer d MAQELMYW- ATTORN YS United States atent Patented June 11, 1963 3,092,874?HENGE Austin R. Baer, Waite Forest, N.(I. (4557 hence de Leon Blvd,Coral Gables 46, Flu.) Filed July 15, 1960, Ser. No. 43,188 8 Claims.(Cl. 16-128) This invention relates to a novel hinge structure for doorsand the like.

Long metal hinges of the so-called piano hinge type are costly toproduce and do not present a very attractive appearance. I have nowdeveloped a new hinge structure that is especially well adapted to beused in the same type of service as are piano hinges, my new hingehaving a neat and attractive appearance and being inexpensive tomanufacture and simple to assemble and install. The hinge may befabricated from a wide variety of metal or plastic materials byextruding, rolling, drawing, machining, or melding of these materials.In a referred embodiment it comprises two intermeshed geared hingemembers each comprising a gear segment and an outwardly extending legportion integrally formed therewith, the two geared hinge members beingheld in mesh by a clamp member bearing against each gear segment at theaxis of rotation thereof. The clampmember preferably comprises aC-shaped element formed of springy material, each gear segment having apie-shaped sector somewhat in excess of 90 cut out from the gear toaccommodate the C-shaped clamp member in the man ner hereinafterdescribed.

My new hinge structure allows for rotation of the hinge through an angleof 180, and in addition to the usual or standard type of hinge actionwhich permits smooth and uniform movement of the hinge parts through thefull arc of travel of the hinge, the hinge structure of my invention canbe modified so that it has a self-closing or self-opening action andfurther can be modified to provide a two-position (i.e., normally openand normally closed) or three-position (i.e., normally open, normallyhalf-open and normally closed) hinge action. Moreover, as previouslynoted the hinge can be formed from a Wide variety of metals and plasticmaterials, and can be manufactured by extrusion, rolling, drawing,machining, mold ing, and other forming operations.

My invention will be better understood from the following description ofthe hinge structure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings ofwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my new hinge structure as employed toprovide a hinged connection between two door panels;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the major three element comprising thehinge structure showing these elements in position for assemblytogether;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the assembled hinge in its closedposition (i.e., closed with reference to the door or other object towhich the hinge is attached);

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the assembled hinge in its openposition;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of a self-closing modification of myhinge structure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of a self-opening modification of myhinge structure;

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of a two-position modification of myhinge structure;

FIG. 8 is a cross-section view of a three-position modification of myhinge structure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a C-shaped clamp member showing onemeans for maintaining the three elements of the hinge structure invertical register; and

FIG. 10 is a view from above of a multi-pauel folding door employing mynew hinge structure.

As will be seen best in FIG. 1 of the drawing my new hinge structurecomprises three basic elementsnamely, a first geared hinge member 11, asecond geared hinge member 12 intermeshed therewith, and a clamp member13 that maintains the geared hinge members in mesh. The first gearedhinge member 11 comprises a gear segment 15 having an outwardlyextending leg portion 16 integrally formed therewith, and the secondgeared hinge member 12 comprises a gear segment 18 intermeshed with thegear segment 15 and having an outwardly extending leg portion 19integrally formed therewith, the clamp member 13 maintaining the gearsegments 15 and 18 in mesh by contacting and advantageously bearingagainst each gear segment at is axis of rotation and thus preventing thegear segments (and geared hinge members) from separating. In theembodiment of my hinge structure shown in FIG. 1, the clamp membercomprises a C-shaped element the in-turned ends of which bear againsteach gear segment at the axis of rotation thereof, the gear segmentshaving a pie-shaped sector cut out therefrom to accommodate the C-shapedclamp member 13. Moreover, the leg portions 16 and 19 of the hingemembers 11 and 12 shown in FIG. 1 are secured respectively to doorpanels 21 and 22. However, as hereinafter more fully explained, in otherembodiments of my invention the leg portions of the hinge members can beconfigured and/ or extended to provide, for example, an integrallyformed door jamb, an integrally formed channel for Window or plateglass, a complete solid door panel, and the like. The hinge elements canbe formed from a wide variety of metals, plastics and other materials,and can be fabricated by machining the elements from bar stock ofappropriate cross-section, or by rolling, drawing, molding, die-castingor, preferably, by extruding these materials. In the latter case anyextrudable material of the requisite strength maybe employed, such, forexample, as brass, aluminum, thermoplastic polymers, and the like.

In the usual case it is desirable that a hinge operate smoothly anduniformly throughout its full arc of travel without any tendency toassist or resist movement to or from its open or closed position, andFIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show an advantageous embodiment of my invention for useas such a standard hinge.

As will be seen best in FIG. 2, each of the geared hinge members 11 and12 of the aforementioned standard hinge comprises a gear segment 15 and18 of substantially circular cross-section having an approximatelypie-shaped sector 24 and 25 removed th refrom, each gear segment havingan outwardly extending leg portion 16 and 19 formed integrallytherewith. The pie-shaped sec-tor removed from each gear segment issomewhat more than say, about in extent, and the apex of the sectorcoincides approximately with the axis of rotation of that gear segment.(For convenience, the portions of the gear segments 15 and 18 nearestthe respective pie-shaped sectors 24 and 25 are hereinafter referred toas the rearward portions of said gear segments, and the portions of saidgear segments nearest the respective leg portions 16 and 19 arehereinafter referred to as the front or forward portions of said gearsegments.) Although other forms of clamp member (e.g., a pair of axiallydisposed pivot pins connected by a coil spring or the like) can beemployed, the clamp member 13 advantageously comprises a C- shapedelement formed of metal or plastic. The C-shaped clamp member 13 isconfigured so that the inwardly turned ends 26 of the clamp member canenter the pieshaped sectors 24 and 25 and bear against the gear segments15 and 18 of the hinge at the axis of rotation of each geared hingemember. Moreover, the C-shaped clamp member 13 can be for ed either froma relatively rigid material or advantageously from a springy materialthat will tend to maintain spring pressure against the gear segments attheir axes of rotation when the hinge elements are assembled together.

The three elements of the hinge structure are assembled together to forma complete hinge by first placing the two geared hinge members 11 and 12together as shown in FIG. 2 so that the gear teeth intermesh and so thatthe rearward surfaces of the pie-shaped cut-out portions 24 and 25 ofthe two gear segments 15 and 18 are substantially parallel to eachother. When the gear segments are so positioned, the outwardly extendingleg portions 16 and 19 of the two geared hinge members are at an obtuseangle of about 220. The C-shaped clamp member 13 is then pressed downonto the rearward side of the gear segments as indicated by the arrow inFIG. 2. If the clamp member is formed of a springy material, theinwardly turned ends 26 thereof are first separated or spread apartslightly to allow these ends to be slipped or pressed downwardly ontothe rearward side of the gear segments, or the geared hinge members arerotated slightly beyond the position shown in FIG. 2 so that thedivergence of the rearward surfaces of the cut-out sectors 24 and 25acts to spread the ends of the clamp 13 as it is pressed into its properfinal position. When the C-shaped clamp is in its proper position theinwardly turned ends of the C-shaped clamp member bear against the gearsegments of the geared hinge members at the axis of rotation of eachgear segment. The geared hinge members 11 and 12 are then rotated sothat the leg portions 15 and 19 thereof are at an angle of 180 as shownin FIG. 3. When in this position the C-shaped clamp member is lockedinto place by the rearwardly extending surfaces of the pie-shaped cutoutsectors 24 and 25 of the two gear segments. The position of the hingeshown in FIG. 3 is referred to herein as its closed position, as this isthe position the hinge would assume when the door or other object towhich it is attached is in its closed position. The hinge is moved orrotated to its open position shown in FIG. 4 simply by moving the legportions 16 and 19, or the door panels to which these leg portions areattached, through an angle of 180.

In the embodiment of my hinge structure shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing,the hinge has an automatic self-closing action. The gear teeth of one orboth of the gear segments'15a and 18a are formed on the surface of asegment of a spiral the radius of which increases from the rear to thefront of the respective gear segment so that, when the geared hingemembers 11 and 12 are rotated from their normally closed position shownin FIG. 5 to their open position corresponding to that shown in FIG. 4,the axes of rotation of the two gear segments (e.g. the centers of thespirals) are moved apart. Moreover, the C-shaped clamp member 13 isformed'from a spring material that exerts a positive inwardly directedspring pressure against the gear segments at their respective axes ofrotation. As a result, when the hinge members are rotated from theirnormally closed position to their open position the axes of rotation ofthe two gear segments 15a and 18a move outwardly against the inwardlydirected spring pressure of the clamp member 13, and when the now-openhinge members are released the inwardly directed spring pressure of theclamp member causes the gear segments to rotate in the direction thatwill move their axes of rotation closer together; that is to say, thereis a positive tendency for the gear segments 15a and 18a to rotate tothe normally closed position of the hinge structure.

In the embodiment of my hinge structure shown in FIG. 6 of the drawing,the hinge has an automatic self-opening action. As in the case of theself-closing hinge of FIG. 5, the gear teeth of one or both of the gearsegments 15b and 181) are formed on the surface of a segment of a spiralthe radius of which increases from the front to the rear of therespective gear segment so that, when the geared hinge members 11 and 12are rotated from their normally open position shown in FIG. 6 to theirclosed position corresponding to that shown in FIG. 3, the axes ofrotation of the two gear segments (e.g. the centers of the spirals) aremoved apart. Moreover, as before the C-shaped clamp member 13 is formedfrom a spring material that exerts a positive inwardly directed springpressure against the gear segments at their respective axes of rotation.As a result, when the hinge members are rotated from their normally openposition to their closed position the axes of rotation of the two gearsegments 15b and 1812 move outwardly against the inwardly directedspring pressure of the clamp member 13, and when the now-closed hingemembers are released the inwardly directed spring pressure of the clampmember causes the gear segments to rotate in the direction that willmove their axes of rotation closer together; that is to say, there is apositive tendency for the gear segments 15b and 18b to rotate to thenormally open position of the hinge structure.

In the embodiment of my hinge structure shown in FIG. 7 of the drawing,the hinge has a decided tendency to assume and remain at one of twofixed positions. In this modification the generally circularcross-sections of one or both of the gear segments 15c-and 180 areslightly flattened or out of round at two points-name-ly, at the (frontportion 28 of each gear segment and at the portion 29 midway between thefront and the rear of the gear segment. As a result, when the hinge isassembled as shown it has a tendency to resist rotation whenever one ofthe flattened portions 28 or 29 of gear segment 15c is intermeshed withthe corresponding flattened portion of gear segment 18c. Thus, the dooror other object to which this hinge is attached has a decided tendencyto assome one of two positions-namely, a normally closed position suchas that shown in FIG. 7, or a normally open position corresponding tothat shown in FIG. 4.

In the embodiment of my hinge structure shown in FIG. 8 of the drawing,the hinge has a decided tendency to assume and remain at one of threefixed positions. In this modification the generally circularcross-sections of one or both of the gear segments 15d and 18d areflattened or out of round at three points along the circumference of thegear segment. One of the flattened sections is at the front portion 31of each gear segment and another of the flattened sections is at theportion 32 midway between the front and the rear of the gear segment,these portions 31 and 32 corresponding to the two flattened portions 28and 29 of the gear segments shown in FIG. 7. The third flattened portion33 of the gear segments shown in FIG. 8 lies intermediate the other twoflattened portions 31 and 3-2 thereof so that the hinge assembly has adecided tendency to assume and to remain at one of threepo-sitionsn-amely, a closed position as shown in FIG. 8, a half-openposition when the hinge is rotated so that the legs 16 and '19 (or thedoor panels to which the 'legs are attached) are at to each other, or afully open position corresponding to that shown in FIG. 4. It is obviousfrom the description of the modifications of my hinge structure shown inFIGS. 7 and 8 that the gear segments are not necessarily limited tothose having two or three flattened portions, but that they may haveonly one flattened portion or as many as four or more such portions inaccordance with my invention.

As previously noted, in each of the modifications shown in FIGS. 5 and6, one or both of the gear segments are segments of a spiral ofappropriate configuration. In the usual case both of the gear segmentswould be segments of spirals having the same configuration. However,under certain circumstances one of the gear segments is advantageously asegment of a spiral while the other gear segment has a standard orgenerally circular cross section such as that shown in FIGS. 2 to 4.Similarly, in each of the modifications of my hinge structure shown inFIGS. 7 and 8 one or both of the gear segments are provided with one ormore flattened portions in order that the hinge have a tendency toremain in one or more fixed positions. In the usual case both gearsegments are provided with the same number and configuration offlattened portions, although in certain cases only one of the gearsegments is provided with these flattened portions while the other gearsegment has a generally circular cross section. Other combinations ofintermeshed gear segments having irregular and/or dissimilar crosssections can be used when required. Thus, a gear segment having a spiralcross section can be used in conjunction with a gear segment having aflattened cross section or the like, these gear segments tending torotate to the position or positions of minimum spacing of their axes ofrotation under the inwardly directed spring pressure of the clampmember.

Referring now to FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that the clamp member 13and the intermeshed gear members 11 and :12 of the hinge structurecooperate to prevent the hinge structure from separating or getting outof alignment in a horizontal direction. However, in certain applicationsmeans must be provided to prevent the hinge structure from getting outof alignment or register in a vertical direction, and this can beaccomplished in a number of ways. For example, as shown in PEG. 9 eachend of the C-shaped clamp member 13 can be provided with a folded-ovedhorizontal tab member 35 which serves to keep the gear segments 15 and18 partially enclosed thereby in vertical registry.

My new hinge structure may be used in a wide variety of practicalapplications, one such application being the multi-panel folding doorshown in FIG. of the drawing. In the folding door shown in FIG. 10, eachvertical end of each door panel 37 (save the last or outermost doorpanel) is provided or formed with one of the geared hinge members 11 or12 of my hinge structure. Thus, the geared hinge member 12 at the innerend of the first door panel 37 is intermeshed with the geared hingemember .11 mounted on the vertical wall or door jarnb 38 to which thefirst door panel is hinged, the geared hinge member 11 at the outer endof the first door panel 37 is intermeshed with a geared hinge member 12at the inner end of the second door panel 37, and so on until the outerend of the last door panel 37 (not shown) is reached, this outermost endof the folding doors not being provided with a hinge element.

As shown in FIG. 10, the geared hinge members 11 and 12 can be separateitems of hardware that are mounted on suitable door panels obtained fromconventional sources, the hinge elements being secured to these doorpanels in the usual manner such as by screws, adhesives, and the like.In addition, door panels and other objects having geared hinge membersat one or both ends thereof can be integrally formed by extruding thepanel and hinge elements in one piece by conventional extrusionprocesses. Moreover, the outwardly extending portions of the gearedhinge members can be configured to serve a Wide variety of functions.For example, the outwardly extending leg portion can be provided with anL-shaped extension such as that shown in FIG. 10 to permit mounting thehinge member on a corner of a wall, or door jamb or the like. Similarly,the outwardly extending leg portion can be formed with channels adaptedto receive sheets of glass for use in shower doors or windows and thelike, or to receive decorative panels in the manufacture of specialdoors or similar objects.

From the foregoing description of my new hinge it will be seen that Ihave made an important contribution to the art to which my inventionrelates.

I claim:

1. A hinge structure comprising two intermeshed geared hinge members anda clamp member maintaining said geared hinge members in mesh, eachgeared hinge member comprising a gear segment having an outwardlyextending leg portion, each gear segment being formed with a pie-shapedcutout sector the apex of which coincides with the axis of rotation ofsaid gear segment, said clamp member comprising a C-shaped element theinwardly turned ends of which'contact the gear segment of each gearedhinge member at the axis of rotation thereof.

2. The hinge structure according to claim 1 in which the gear teeth ofat least one of the gear segments are formed on a surface of irregularradius, and in which said clamp member exerts a positive inwardlydirected spring pressure against the gear segments at their respectiveaxes of rotation, whereby the gear segments tend to rotate to theposition or positions of minimum spacing of their axes of rotation.

3. The hinge structure according to claim 1 in which the gear teeth ofat least one of the gear segments are formed on the surface of a segmentof a spiral the radius of which increases from the rear to the front ofthe respective gear segment, and in which said clamp member exerts apositive inwardly directed spring pressure against the gear segments attheir respective axes of rotation, whereby the gear segments tend torotate to the normally closed position of the hinge structure.

4. The hinge structure according to claim 1 in which the gear teeth ofat least one of the gear segments are formed on the surface of a segmentof a spiral the radius of which increases from the front to the rear ofthe respective gear segment, and in which the clamp member exerts apositive inwardly directed spring pressure against the gear segments attheir respective axes of rotation, whereby the gear segments tend torotate to the normally open position of the hinge structure.

5. The hinge structure according to claim 1 in which at least one of thegear segments is slightly flattened at at least one point on thegenerally circular circumference of said gear segment, and in which theclamp member exerts a positive inwardly directed spring pressure againstthe gear segments at their respective axes of rotation, whereby thehinge tends to assume and to remain at at least one relatively fixedposition corresponding to said flattened portion of said gear segment.

6. The hinge structure according to claim 1 in which at least one of thegear segments is slightly flattened at the front portion thereof and atthe portion midway between the front portion and the rear of the gearsegment, and in which the clamp member exerts a positive inwardlydirected spring pressure against the gear segments at their respectiveaxes of rotation, whereby the hinge tends to assume and to remain at itsnormally closed position and at its normally open position.

7. The hinge structure according to claim 1 in which at least one of thegear segments is slightly flattened at the front portion of said gearsegment, at the portion midway between the front and the rear of thegear segment and at a portion intermediate the aforesaid two flattenedportions, and in which the clamp member exerts a positive inwardlydirected spring pressure against the gear segments at their respectiveaxes of rotation, whereby the hinge tends to assume and to remain at itsnormally closed position, at a position intermediate its normally closedand its normally open positions, and at its fully open position.

8. The hinge structure according to claim 1 in which the outwardlyextending leg portion of at least one of the geared hinge members isattached to a door panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS498,564 Morris May 30, 1893 509,702 Tangney Nov. 28, 1893 1,300,926Carrier Apr. 15, 1919 1,698,136 Lawrence Ian. 8, 1929 2,141,449 RathbunDec. 27, 1938 2,308,625 Rathbun Ian. 19, 1943 2,742,665 Stopek Apr. 24,1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 337,507 France Feb. 22, 1904 4,753 Great BritainAug. 19, 1914

1. A HINGE STRUCTURE COMPRISING TWO INTERMESHED GEARED HINGE MEMBERS ANDA CLAMP MEMBER MAINTAINING SAID GEARED HINGE MEMBERS IN MESH, EACHGEARED HINGE MEMBER COMPRISING A GEAR SEGMENT HAVING AN OUTWARDLYEXTENDING LEG PORTION, EACH GEAR SEGMENT BEING FORMED WITH A PIE-SHAPEDCUTOUT SECTOR THE APEX OF WHICH COINCIDES WITH THE AXIS OF ROTATION OFSAID GEAR SEGMENT, SAID CLAMP MEMBER COMPRISING A C-SHAPED ELEMENT THEINWARDLY TURNED ENDS OF WHICH CONTACT THE GEAR SEGMENT OF EACH GEAREDHINGE MEMBER AT THE AXIS OF ROTATION THEREOF.